


iron will

by piningmck



Series: awesamdad, presented by piningmck [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Dream Smp, Not Canon Compliant, Parental awesamdude, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29082726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piningmck/pseuds/piningmck
Summary: "I think something's up with Niki," Tommy said quietly.-Sam confronts Niki and Jack.(SPOILERS!!!)side note: I'm putting abuse of authority in the tags because the story has Sam using the prison and his authority over it to get Jack and Niki to have a conversation with him, and I feel like that falls under that tag despite the in-story reasons for it, so I'd like to be safe about it.
Relationships: Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit
Series: awesamdad, presented by piningmck [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138238
Comments: 12
Kudos: 689





	iron will

This is the second time Tommy had come back from his tasks looking uncomfortable. Looking over the boy's shoulder, Sam Nook could guess what the problem was before Tommy started speaking.

"Sam," Tommy said quietly. "Can we talk for a minute. In private?" He tried his hardest not to gesture over at Niki, standing at the perimeter gate. Sam Nook knew what to do. He prepared the translation.

"GREAT WORK ON COMPLETING THAT TASK TOMMY... I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ALONE ON HOTEL MATTERS... WOULD YOU PLEASE COME WITH ME?" Tommy brightened with relief, his shoulders relaxing just a bit.

"Yeah! No problem, Sam Nook!" 

"ONE MOMENT PLEASE..." Walk over calmly, over to the girl clearly feigning that friendly smile. "THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP TODAY NIHACHU... HERE IS YOUR PAYMENT... I MUST SPEAK WITH TOMMYINNIT ON HOTEL MATTERS ALONE... IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LEAVE THE CONSTRUCTION AREA... HAVE A NICE DAY." Don't give her time to protest, walk away.

"O-Oh. Okay! Bye Tommy! Bye Sam!" Facing Tommy, Sam Nook saw the boy wave goodbye. The first step was done. Step two, listen to Tommy. They walked inside the building, Tommy taking the step of making sure the coast was clear with gusto, nodding once he was certain Niki had left. 

"So, Sam. You know how I said the other day that Jack Manifold was acting kind of... sus? That he might be a wrongun? Up to no good?"

"YES... SAM AND MYSELF ARE TAKING EVERY MEASURE WE CAN TO PROTECT YOU, TOMMY." 

"And I'm real glad you mention that! Because, um..." Tommy leaned in. "I think something's up with Niki," he said quietly. Nervously. Step 3, quietly contact Sam as Tommy explains. Recording live transmission. "I don't know if I'm like, paranoid or something, but I know she talks to Jack a lot. And when Tubbo and Jack tested their nukes; which was very cool, you should have seen it- but when they tested their nukes, and I was going out to get all that Spruce wood for you, Niki said she knew a good spot for Spruce trees even though there were so many in Snowchester and so many on our _way_ to the spot NIki wanted to bring me to. And then I thought it was a weird coincidence that we were headed in the same direction as the spot Tubbo's nukes landed! But I thought it was a coincidence, but now I'm not really sure, and... I think she might be a wrongun like Jack. I think they might be working in cahoots, as they say." Message sent. Sam is requesting access to main body controls. Access granted.

"ONE MOMENT PLEASE..." Sam Nook sputtered in place for less than a second as Sam took over the body. Sam shook his head. He wasn't in any state to be doing this consciousness transfer, but Tommy's message, this was too urgent to care. "Tommy?"

"Hi Sam," Tommy smiled.

"Sam Nook told me what you said. Are you okay?" He glanced the boy over. There was a scrape on his cheek, or was that dirt? No, it was redder than that, it must be blood. Was he hurt? had he just taken a fall? Tommy shrugged, scratching the back of his head. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to bother him. 

"I'm fine right now, I'm just... Not really sure what to do. Plus, I might just be paranoid, you know? The ol' 'ead messing with me," he weakly joked, tapping his hard hat with a fist. But his smile faded quickly. "The weird part is... I thought were were friends, but I guess I might be wrong? I thought me and Jack Manifold were friends, he's been nice to me, especially since moving to Snowchester, and he even visited me once in exile, and I know I made some mistakes that I should probably apologize for even if they were funny, um.. And- And Niki, I mean I know Niki was mad at me because she thought I blew up the community house even though I didn't, and there's probably other stuff I've done to make her mad, but she's been with us since the beginning, hasn't she? She helped create L'Manberg!" Tommy gestured his arms out wide, before letting them fall again, and looked down at the ground. "I mean, she was here when Wilbur was still the old Wilbur. Before... You know. Everything." 

"Tommy..." Sam placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, before pulling Tommy into a hug. "I'll talk to Jack and Niki, get things cleared up. You just keep doing what you're doing, okay? Leave it to me." Tommy paused for a moment, considering it. before letting out a small huff and wrapping his arms around Sam's torso. 

"Are you gonna be okay? That egg thing isn't messing with you anymore, is it?"

"Well, I'm a little under the weather," Sam replied, tousling Tommy's hair, "But it's nothing I can't handle. Okay?"

"... Okay. Thanks, Sam. See you later?" 

"Of course." Commencing control release sequence. 

Sam shuddered as he entered his own body again. He wish he stayed in Nook's body a while longer. Nothing _hurt_ in there. Sam scoffed, head in his hands. Dream, Bad, Ant, now Jack and Niki as well? What, was everyone preparing to go through a "hurt Tommy" arc? This was unbelievable. Tommy didn't deserve this! And there was so much to consider. Jack and Niki weren't like Bad and Ant. They weren't under this egg's control. They were doing it because they wanted to, for whatever reason that want came from. Sam coughed into his hands, pulling away and seeing the blood drip down his palm. He couldn't confront those two in the state he was now. Maybe they'd kill him. Maybe he'd corrupt them. No, he'd need to be stronger to handle this situation. He'd need a stronger body. 

The sound speaker reached out over a hundred blocks in each direction. No one could miss it. 

"Jack Manifold, Niki, please make your way to the prison grounds. I repeat. Make your way to the prison grounds." If they missed that, then they wouldn't have missed the personal invitations placed for them to find as quickly as possible. The two arrived a few minutes later. Scans confirmed speech was being exchanged between the two. Confusion. Fear. "Please enter through the portal." 

"Uhhh, mind telling us why we're here, Sam?" Jack questioned. 

"Yeah, we'd like some answers," Niki added. 

"You will be given a briefing after entering through the portal. Please enter through the portal." Silence. And then an unsure decision was made. They stepped through. "Please wait a moment." The Warden switched the gears and activated the main portal. "Please walk back through the portal. Less hesitation this time. It was time to switch. Stuttering in place, Sam took control over The Warden as the two stepped into the main lobby.

"Jack, Niki," Sam greeted. Jack opened his mouth, but Sam put a hand up. "This will be quick. I just wanted to talk in a secure location." 

"Secure? Sam, this feels more threating than secure," Niki pointed. 

"Then in that case I apologize that this place is the only secure location on the server. Rest assured no harm will come to you if it not required." Niki grumbled to herself. "Now for the matter at hand. I only have one question for the both of you. **What do you want with Tommy?** " 

Their faces dropped into horrified expressions. 

"How did you-" Jack started, before trying to pick himself back up again. "I mean, what? What are you talking about, Sam?"

"Y-yeah!" Niki followed. "Tommy's our friend, we wouldn't want to hurt him." 

Jack placed a nervous hand on NIki's shoulder, letting out a panicked laugh. "Is this about the payment thing? I guess I must have pissed the ol' Sam Nook off, so hey! Sorry about that! So we're cool, right?" Sam stood silent, just to let the two know they couldn't bluff their way out of this one. Jack's feigned smile dropped. "Erm..." 

"Does he know?" Niki scowled. "Is that why you're interrogating us?" 

"No," Sam lied. "Tommy hasn't picked it up yet, against all odds. But Sam Nook has." Sam walked around to the front of the lobby desk, brushing his hand against the first waiver as he passed. "And since you're on _his_ radar, you are on _my_ radar."

"Aren't you Sam Nook?" Jack asked. "Wait a minute.. You've gotten taller! What the fuck _are_ you?"

"In the simplest of terms, right now I'm an android. One capable of server purposes my regular body can't. "Sam Nook" was originally just a regular builder to help with the prison construction, but," he chuckled at the memory. "Tommy sparked the idea for this particular modification and "Character"." 

"Then who are we talking to now? The... Warden, or whatever?"

"You're with the Warden's body, yes. But you're talking to me right now. Regular old Sam." 

"Why not talk to us in your regular body? Did you need to threated us better?" Niki asked. 

"It's... I'm trying to distance everyone from my main body the best I can. For everyone's safety."

"Well then. Guess all we have to do is kill your main body then?" Jack smirked. Sam chuckled. 

"Oh, trust me Jack. _You wouldn't be able to get close_." Jack leaned back, smile dropping. Niki stepped forward. 

"So, what? You want to threaten us not to kill Tommy? You're going to kill us until all our lives are lost? Well sorry to break your bubble, but Jack's already said no to a permanent death before. And I bet he'll do it again." Jack nodded behind her, clearly unsure if he could actually do that again. "And I'll don't care what the cost of killing Tommy is. You don't scare me, Sam. Because right now, you just sound like a weak man hiding in a stronger body." 

The truth was that Sam didn't want to threaten them. "Niki..." After all, they've been in similar boats as Tommy. Jack had lost all his canon lives before, one at Tommy's own hand. Niki had lost everything to the Schlatt administration, and Tommy has never been a saint to her. Both of them lost their childhoods to pointless wars. Sam sighed, placing the sword he'd been holding on the table. "I know the both of you have gone through a lot more than you would ever deserve to. I know you're both not much older than he is. I know that it must be maddening to see Tommy get to experience a childhood you lost to war. I know he's hurt the both of you, and you have every right to be angry." 

"Then why-" Jack started.

"Because it'd be pointless!" Sam shouted. "It's not as easy as killing someone for revenge anymore. What's the chance he'd come back as a ghost? What's stopping me, Tubbo, Puffy, everyone who cared, to force Dream to bring him back? What's the chance Tubbo finds out it was you, and sends _nukes_ your way? What's the chance you kill Tommy, and _still_ stay miserable because it wasn't what you really wanted?" 

"So what? You want us to sit in silence while Tommy gets away with everything?"

"He hasn't gotten away with everything! Do you want to know if he's suffered? He has! Just ask him! Ask Dream! He has been through just has much as the both of you, lost as much as the both of you. The only difference is that so far, he hasn't let anger take him over. I am asking you to think this through. To not choose violence one more time. To remember who you are at your cores, because I want to believe you're good people! If I really didn't think I could convince you, I'd have already made you sign all the waivers. I'd have locked you in here without question. But I want you both to give yourselves the chance to heal. Heal the _proper_ way." 

"And what is the proper way? Because so far there's been no way that's worked before," Niki scoffed. 

Sam sighed. "Puffy is opening up a therapy office. I think you'd both benefit seeing her. If that doesn't work, then we'll figure out something else. I _want_ to help you. But if you keep trying to go after Tommy, then I _will_ have to step in. He is under my protection. And he wants to trust the both of you. So please. Try talking to Puffy. Don't keep cycling through this system of distrust and betrayal and death." 

"... What's the point, though?" Jack had his head down. "Even if we don't kill Tommy, someone else will. We're not the only people who hate him. You can't protect him forever." 

"I know," Sam replied. "Right now there's a threat I don't know if I can protect him from. Protect _anyone_ from. But I am going to do what I can. I suggest you do what you can to help yourselves." No response. "You can go." They looked like they didn't believe him. "I said I wouldn't keep you here. And since you're not official visitors, you don't have to sign the waivers." After another moment, they both nodded. "Also, I'm sorry I had to bring you in here to talk. I wasn't sure how this would go, and as much as I want to help you, Tommy's safety is still my priority." 

"See you later, Sam," Niki said coldly, turning with Jack back towards the portal.

"... See you." 

Sam returned to his body in pain, and exhausted. He felt a warmth in his arm. The wounds had reopened. His flesh was still deteriorating. "Fuck..." He had to fix this. Had to fix this somehow. Sam Nook and the Warden were both out of function while he was trapped in that egg. He needed to stay alive, and more importantly he needed his mind to be right.

But what could he do now? 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!


End file.
